


Get It in Due Time

by Everybody_Loves_Chocolate



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Advice, Alternate Universe - College/University, Bubble Bath, Caretaking, Caring, Crying, Established Relationship, Forehead Kisses, Kissing, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan-centric, Love, M/M, Not Beta Read, Pet Names, Stress, writing a paper sucks sometimes but its worth it in the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:47:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26781649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Everybody_Loves_Chocolate/pseuds/Everybody_Loves_Chocolate
Summary: Donghyuck was procrastinating writing his paper and there was no way out. At least until Mark took matters into his own hands and basically forced Donghyuck to take a bubble bath. Oh, and a heart-to-heart about why he was procrastinating.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 2
Kudos: 114





	Get It in Due Time

**Author's Note:**

> This is just me living out my fantasy of having someone that will help me write my paper. IDK, like, it's okay but, man, I definitely wouldn't mind having someone beside me. I have a week left and still a bit to write but I guess it's fine. Well, we'll see.
> 
> Edit: I got an A so this is a motivation for all of you who are putting off writing something. I procrastinated most of the times writing fanfic instead of my paper and I still got a great mark. You can do it!
> 
> Hope you enjoy this!

Donghyuck was procrastinating. He glanced at the 15 open tabs ranging from cute animal videos to music videos to videos about how to build a bike from scratch. _Definitely_ procrastinating.

He sighed and pressed the balls of his hands to his eyes as he leant back. Groaning, Donghyuck let his hands slide to his temples, massaging them in an attempt to get his shit together. Still, Donghyuck knew he wouldn’t start with his paper anytime soon. It made up a huge percentage of his final grade but Donghyuck was more scared of writing complete bullshit and getting failed for that than for not writing anything. Logically, none of that made any sense but Donghyuck didn’t need sense to fuck his life up.

With a somewhat noisy sigh, he focused back on his computer but not even tiny little kittens could get rid of the dread in Donghyuck’s mind now. He should start, he really should, so why didn’t he? Why couldn’t he just open a new document and get to writing? What the hell was so hard about it?

Donghyuck covered his face with his hands and whined, feeling as if he was close to tears. Not starting a paper shouldn’t be a reason to cry, especially considering he still had time to do it. Still, Donghyuck sat there, shoulders hunched and hands pressed to his face, about to cry because he couldn’t even write a paper.

“Hyuckie? I’m home!”

Mark’s keys clattered from somewhere by the door and Donghyuck took a deep breath. He couldn’t let his boyfriend see him like this. Mark was way too worried for his own good and Donghyuck didn’t want to burden him with his stupid inability to open a document and type away.

“Welcome back! I’m in the study!” he called to make it easy for Mark to find him. As expected, Mark almost immediately entered the room with a soft smile and trudged over to Donghyuck. He gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead and mumbled, “What’re you doing?”

Donghyuck pursed his lips and shrugged, avoiding Mark’s gaze and regretting not having closed the tabs. Mark leant closer to the monitor and squinted at it, basically blind without his glasses. Donghyuck wondered why he had removed them.

“Are those videos interesting?” Mark asked and again Donghyuck shrugged. He hadn’t really been focusing, just wanting to kill the time somehow. With a soft sigh, Mark crouched down slightly and embraced Donghyuck gently. Feeling like crying again, Donghyuck wound his arms around his boyfriend and buried his face in his neck. Mark patted his hair, making soft shushing sounds before asking, “What’s wrong, sunshine? You having a hard time?”

Slowly, Donghyuck nodded. There was no use in lying to Mark if he already kind of knew anyways. Mark hummed and continued patting Donghyuck’s hair.

“Do you want to tell me why you’re having a hard time?” Mark asked after a while of silently putting up with Donghyuck. Donghyuck sniffled and shrugged again, not sure if he should really answer but then Mark pulled away, still holding his boyfriend's face and Donghyuck was gone. Mark’s eyes were big and worried, his lips formed into a small pout and his eyebrows drawn together. Donghyuck was weak for that look but he was sure Mark didn’t even know he was doing it.

“It’s just,” Donghyuck started and Mark gave him a small encouraging smile, “I can’t, I don’t know, I guess I can’t really… begin working on that really important paper? I just-” Donghyuck shook his head. “It seems so hard to do.”

Mark’s pout deepened and his eyebrows drew together even more as he squeezed Donghyuck’s cheeks together. His eyes wandered over the younger’s face and one hand let go of Donghyuck’s face to card through his hair. Mark nodded to himself and then said, “Look baby, here’s what we’re gonna do. You’re really stressed and tense so I’m going to make you a bubble bath and I’m going to get you relaxed, okay sunshine?”

Slowly, Donghyuck nodded, a warm tightness in his chest. He loved it when Mark cared for him even more than he usually did even if that meant the elder was worried about him.

Gently, Mark slid his hands down to Donghyuck’s and pulled him up and out of his chair. He wound an arm around Donghyuck’s waist and put the computer into sleep mode before turning to Donghyuck again, linking his hands behind his boyfriend on the small of his back. Donghyuck knew that look. It was the ‘ _What am I going to do with you?_ ’ look and he had a love-hate relationship with it. On one hand, Mark was most probably going to pamper him into oblivion, on the other, Donghyuck felt like he didn’t deserve someone like Mark. He was way too good for someone like Donghyuck, who barely even knew how to take care of himself.

Mark leant forward slightly, kissing Donghyuck softly as he slipped his hands under Donghyuck’s butt and lifted him up. Donghyuck let out a very undignified squeak, scrambling to wind his legs around Mark’s waist as the elder carried him out of the room. Pouting slightly, Donghyuck slapped Mark’s shoulder, complaining, “I can walk. And I’m heavy!”

Mark only shook his head, a small smile on his face as he carried Donghyuck all the way to the bathroom. He let him down on the toilet slowly and slid his hands up to Donghyuck’s shoulder’s before turning to turn on the tub faucet. Still, he kept a hand on Donghyuck’s shoulder as if to make sure that he didn’t try to escape.

When Mark looked at Donghyuck again, his gaze was nothing if not warm. He crouched down in front of Donghyuck and smiled at him, caressing his cheek.

“Look, sunshine, you’re going to take a bath and I want you to relax, okay? Calm down a bit.”

Donghyuck nodded, managing a crooked smile, not quite believing in himself. Mark didn’t comment on it, placing a soft kiss on the corner of Donghyuck’s lips before turning around again to check the temperature and preparing the bubble bath. Donghyuck watched him do it, feeling the warmth and tightness and _love_ in his chest grow like the bubbles on the water.

Mark looked so soft in his sweater, hair brushed back and moles dotting his skin. He looked back at Donghyuck again, reaching for him. Donghyuck slid forward slightly, into the warmth of his boyfriend’s arms.

“How about you get in while I change, mh? Does that sound good, love?” Mark asked, his hands in Donghyuck’s hair again. Donghyuck clung to him tighter, shaking his head. Mark chuckled and mumbled, “Okay. What do you want then?”

“Come in with me,” Donghyuck said quietly. He was feeling really protective for some reason, not wanting to let Mark be out of sight. His shoulders were still tense and his mind was still running. Mark was like his anchor to reality right now.

Nodding, Mark slowly let go of Donghyuck, tugging his sweater up to his chest before squinting at Donghyuck who hadn’t moved, only looking at his boyfriend.

“You have to strip too, you know? You’re not gonna get in there fully clothed.”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes before removing his shirt too. He undressed slowly, still enjoying it every time more and more skin of Mark’s got shown. Mark was just so pretty with his pale skin, his moles, his doe eyes, his _everything_.

When both of them were undressed, Donghyuck tugged Mark into a kiss. Just how could he resist, really?

Mark kissed back but was quick to pull away again. His gaze was loving and his touch soft as he said, “Get into the water, Hyuckie. It’s going to get cold and cold water isn’t relaxing.”

Donghyuck only nodded and dipped his toes into the water. Perfect temperature. Of course. Mark was the one who filled it anyways. He always knew just what Donghyuck needed the temperature to be, even when Donghyuck himself didn’t even know.

Donghyuck grabbed Mark’s hand as he fully stepped into the tub and sat down. He kept them connected as Mark followed, settling himself behind Donghyuck who had placed himself right at the middle of the tub. With a sigh, Donghyuck settled against his boyfriend and pulled his arms around himself.

Mark kissed the shell of Donghyuck’s ear, whispering, “Feel better already?”

Donghyuck shook his head. He really didn’t but at least he had Mark by his side.

They didn’t talk for the rest of the bath and Donghyuck may have enjoyed Mark tracing patterns on his chest but that didn’t relax him any more than the bath itself did. Donghyuck had hoped Mark wouldn’t notice and just let him go back to his computer without any further questions but boy, oh boy, was he wrong.

“You’re still so tense. Did that do nothing to relax you?” Mark asked with a frown when they were out of the tub and clad in fluffy towels. Donghyuck made a face and shrugged, knowing he couldn’t exactly lie to Mark.

Mark sighed and grabbed Donghyuck’s hand, gently pulling him towards the bedroom. He sat Donghyuck down on the bed and then pulled out their pyjamas.

“We’re going to talk about it, Hyuck. There’s no way in hell I’m going to let you suffer all alone,” he declared, handing Donghyuck the soft fabric before dressing himself. Donghyuck knew he couldn’t escape, not to mention that he wouldn’t even do anything he had to do even if he could, so he just dressed himself as well.

Mark pulled Donghyuck to sit cross-legged on the bed before sitting down in front of him.

For a while, they just looked at each other. Mark played with Donghyuck’s fingers between them and Donghyuck looked down at their intertwined hands. He didn’t feel like he deserved this, not when he couldn’t even get himself to begin writing something very very important.

“So,” Mark began and Donghyuck looked up at him. “What’s wrong, sunshine? You can’t write your paper?”

Hesitantly, Donghyuck nodded before building up the courage to explain, “Well, you know the one that makes up for more than half of my grade?” Mark nodded. “I- I can’t do it. I can’t bring myself to even start.”

Mark hummed, starting to rub up and down Donghyuck’s arms, his eyes still focused on Donghyuck’s face.

“I think, maybe I understand. I had to write that paper too and before I began writing it, it felt like it was going to be really difficult but when I actually started writing it was way easier than expected,” he said and tilted his head. “Is that what you meant?”

Donghyuck shook his head. It was nothing like that so he tried it with, “It’s more like I fear failing even though I put a lot of effort into it so I don’t even start. I know it’s dumb and completely irrational but I can’t bring myself to begin. I guess I’d rather fail by writing nothing than writing something unsatisfactory.”

Donghyuck looked down and blinked in fast succession, trying to stop the tears from falling. Mark settled a gentle hand on Donghyuck’s chin and tilted his head back up.

“You're not gonna fail, Hyuck. Even if you only write five sentences for every sub-topic you're still not going to fail. Hell, even an introduction would do,” he murmured softly but Donghyuck couldn’t bring himself to look at Mark. His eyes were burning and he didn’t want to break down in front of his boyfriend because of something so stupid. Donghyuck focused his eyes on the wardrobe but Mark didn’t have any of it.

“Hey,” he said softly, fingers moving up to Donghyuck’s temple. “Look at me, sunshine. If you want to cry it’s okay. Just focus, love. Focus on me.”

Donghyuck took a deep breath before finally redirecting his gaze to land on Mark. The elder was looking at Donghyuck with the softest eyes. He didn’t even look particularly worried, just like he cared very very much and like he believed in Donghyuck.

The tears shot into Donghyuck’s eyes and his breath hitched.

Soon, he was a crying, snotty, hiccupping mess. Mark pulled him into his lap, stroking his hair and whispering assurances into his ear. The hand on Donghyuck’s back was warm and so was the rest of Mark. Donghyuck really didn’t deserve him.

“Deep breaths, baby, come on,” Mark mumbled and Donghyuck listened, how couldn’t he? “Do it with me. In and out, in and out.”

Mark took breath after breath and Donghyuck matched with him, hiccupping some more before finally calming down. With a hum, Mark reached for the tissues on the bedside table, still holding Donghyuck secure in his lap. He got Donghyuck to blow his nose and dry his eyes before lying them both down and pulling the blankets over them.

Mark pulled Donghyuck against himself, fingers softly caressing the younger’s face.

“Look, baby. I’m going to help you,” he declared quietly and kissed Donghyuck’s forehead. “I’ll open the document and I’ll write the first few sentences if you want me to. I’ll be right beside you when you work, okay?”

Donghyuck was reluctant but agreed anyways because he could never say no to Mark. Taking a deep breath, Donghyuck buried his face in Mark’s neck and pressed even closer to his boyfriend, taking in his scent. Mark was so calming and understanding and caring, Donghyuck just couldn’t help but shove his issues to the back of his mind for a little.

“I’ll help you with something too,” Donghyuck whispered against Mark’s skin, lips forming a pout. Mark chuckled quietly and kissed the crown of Donghyuck’s head, stroking the younger boy’s back. He pressed another kiss to Donghyuck’s temple before he replied, “You’re already helping me with something, Hyuck.”

Donghyuck furrowed his brows and wriggled back a little to get a good look at his boyfriend's face. Mark was smiling, eyes all gentle in the warm, orange light of the lamp on the bedside table. His hair was already slightly ruffled and Donghyuck couldn’t help but reach out to card his hands though it as he asked, “And what exactly am I helping you with?”

Instead of answering, Mark giggled and pulled Donghyuck closer to him again, placing a soft kiss on his lips between breathless giggles. Donghyuck reciprocated but now he was just confused as to what was happening, pout worsening as Mark buried his face in the pillow, giggling into it.

“What’s so funny? It was a serious question,” Donghyuck complained, repeatedly prodding at Mark’s shoulder. Mark looked up at him with shiny eyes and a wide smile. Again, he didn’t answer, leaning forward to kiss Donghyuck again.

This time, the kiss lingered and Mark calmed down as Donghyuck buried his hands in Mark’s hair. He wasn’t going to get distracted but he was also not going to pass up an opportunity to kiss his boyfriend.

The kiss was slow and deliberate, Mark’s hands coming up to cup Donghyuck’s face as his elbows rested on the mattress. Sighing into the kiss, Mark deepened it and usually, Donghyuck would be up for it but right now, he wanted to know what Mark had been talking about and he was sure if they went any further now, he would forget about it.

Furrowing his brows, Donghyuck pulled away and Mark looked down on him with wide eyes, eyebrows raised.

“I’ll kiss you again when you tell me what I’m helping you with,” Donghyuck said as he gave a little nod to reassure himself and Mark rolled his eyes fondly but didn’t make a move to kiss Donghyuck again, instead carding his hand through the younger’s hair. Mark’s eyes slowly made their way all over Donghyuck’s face before he finally looked right ahead, into Donghyuck’s eyes.

“You’re helping me by simply existing, sunshine,” Mark admitted and Donghyuck scoffed, sceptical and ready to refute that statement but Mark didn’t let him speak. “You know how I have anxiety and stuff. God, I’m pretty fucked up but I know you’re not exactly perfectly fine either. You’re here for me and I know that and if I was having a bad day you’d go out of your way to care for me. And it’s fun to care for you, too. Sure, I wish you wouldn’t have to suffer but like this we can understand each other in some way.” Mark smiled, pecking the tip of Donghyuck’s nose. “You’re helping me with my whole life, Hyuckie.”

Donghyuck groaned and covered his flushing face with his hands. Mark chuckled and kissed them, gently tracing patterns into the side of Donghyuck’s neck.

“You’re so cheesy,” Donghyuck whined but he knew Mark meant what he said. Somehow, he felt the same, felt like it was nice to have Mark understand him even though it wasn’t actually that nice of a thing.

“But you love it,” Mark only whispered, gently prying Donghyuck’s hands off his face to kiss him again. Donghyuck hummed, his hands finding their way into Mark’s hair again. Mark was good, so good, at distracting him and getting him to relax even if it required them to talk and be serious for a while. Sure, Donghyuck still didn’t necessarily feel much better about that assignment but there was light at the end of the tunnel and he couldn’t be more grateful.

“I really, really do.”


End file.
